Reese Witherspoon Opens Up About Religion and the Afterlife: 'I Think You Get an Angel and Wings and a Halo'

by John Boone
11:30 AM PDT, August 03, 2016

Photo: Getty Images

Reese Witherspoon is going to look like the cutest Precious Moments figurine in the afterlife.

The 40-year-old actress appeared on the latest episode of Chelsea Handler's Netflix talk show, Chelsea, where the women -- along with Suicide Squad star Common, comedian Negin Farsad and hairstylist Adir -- discussed faith and death.

"I truly believe you're on a spiritual path that is yourself. We're born alone and we die alone," Witherspoon said. And after that? "I think we go to heaven," she said. "I think you get an angel and the wings and a halo and the thing and all that."

The Legally Blonde star also got candid about how she "really can't stand" when people use religion to "promote intolerance and hate."

"I grew up, obviously, in the South and there is amazing, wonderful connectivity and people are loving and communitive," she pointed out. "But there is a tiny aspect of it, people [that] use parts of the Bible in order to express their intolerance and their hate and they manipulate it."

As for how her Episcopalian roots have held her back, Witherspoon bashfully recalled, "When I first started, when I was really, really young, it really bothered me taking the Lord's name in vain. Because that's a commandment! And it really bothered me! And now I've grown as an artist and I understand that expression is a whole different thing."

"So, what do you understand more? That it doesn't mean as much as it did?" Handler pressed.

"No, it still bothers me," Witherspoon responded with a laugh.

We already know her alter ego, Elle Woods, doesn't take issue with dropping an, "Oh my god!" With Legally Blonde celebrating its 15th anniversary this year, we looked back on all the life lessons we learned from Elle. Check them out in the video below.